To Kiss the Stars
by Serenity006
Summary: 1941 Germany. Winry's family has escaped to France, but due to a mistake in planning she was left behind. She has to leave the country, but how? And what of the handsome stranger that comes to her rescue? AUish EdWin
1. Decision

Hello, Serenity here! If this seems familiar, please do not be alarmed. I have adopted this story from GoddessoftheWaters. (Everyone should go check out her work! Its fabulous!) It was originally a Bleach fanfic, however, due to the fact it has been on hiatus since 2007, she was so kind so as to allow me to continue it as a Fullmetal fic. Per request, I have not changed the first chapter, save for the names.

_**Zu den Sternen**_

_**(To Kiss the Stars)**_

_**Chapter 1: **_

_**Entscheidung**_

_**(Decision) **_

_Don't worry. We will come for you. _

Winry Rockbell rolled over clutching the still warm bed sheets to her chest, repeating the sentence over and over in her mind.

_We will come for you. _

It had been two weeks since her mother had whispered those words to her before silently ushering her brother out the door.

Two weeks had seemed like 2 eternities.

She was not going to be able to survive for much longer. She was running out of food and there was no money for more. She couldn't even leave the house for fear of death.

It was all his fault.

'Well, it was,' Winry scowled in the darkness. He was so condescending, so evil.

Hitler.

_Munich, Germany _

_May, 1941_

_The sun was shining brightly, and the weather was warm. The absence of the loud trilling noises of the birds was the only sign something was amiss. Although, amiss was not the right word for it. Amiss didn't have a strong enough connotation attached to it. _

_It was 1941. Hitler was at the peak of his power and it seemed that nothing could be done to stop him. The only escape for the Jews, those like Winry, was to leave the country. Or death. Whichever came first. _

_There was a loud knock on the door. Her mother motioned to her and her brother, and they both got up with careful practice and headed to the back where they stepped through a door and found themselves in a small windowless room. It was dark, with a few blankets, a candle, and a small pile of non-perishable food. Her mother pulled the curtain back over the small cubby and shut the wall behind her, until there was nothing but a thin strip of light along where the top of the door should be. _

"_Hello?" Winry heard Lise's voice through the wall as she opened the door. _

_She laughed morosely, though it was a quiet laugh and barely distinguishable from the slight rustling sound as they all settled in, and glanced at her brother beside her on the floor. They were squished, once again into a small room in the interior of a small apartment in the middle of the city. _

"_Shush," her brother whispered quietly. "They might hear you!" Winry felt the familiar fear seep through her stomach. Her brother was right. She was putting her whole family in danger by speaking. She fell silent, and didn't move, save to reach out to grab the soft material of her mother's sleeve. It was quiet for a moment until a male voice filtered through the wall to where they were sitting. _

"_What did you say your name was?" the voice was deep and scratchy, with a very prominent German accent. _

"_L-Lise," a female voice, that of Lise shook as she replied to the man. _

_Winry could picture in her mind what was going on outside their dark prison. She had heard of it happening often, though it had never happened to her personally. _

_The man was a Nazi officer wearing his crisp clean uniform. His hair was dark and plastered to one side, and he was clean shaven with small beady eyes that peered accusingly around. His hand hovered constantly to his hip where he kept his gun. He would not hesitate to use it if need be. _

_Fear settled like a stone in her stomach. _

_Then there was Lise, her blue eyes wide with fear, her blond hair draped messily around her shoulders. She would be shaking, trying as hard as she could not to let her face betray her as she lied about who-what was hiding in her closet. _

_Winry moved to get up, shaking. She had to do something for Lise! Her mother threw out an arm to stop her, and Winry knew that on the other side of the darkness she was shaking her head. _

"_Lise? Rhymes with what you are telling me now!" The man chuckled softly, though there was nothing funny with the situation. _

"_I'm telling you the truth! Why would I lie to you? Why would I risk my life to protect a-a Jew?" Lise said the word with such contempt that Winry almost believed she meant it. Everyone but those practiced in the art of catching lies would have missed it. _

"_I still don't believe you. Though, perhaps if you are telling the truth I might have some use for you," the German soldier snickered and stepped closer to their hiding place his boots clacking on the hardwood surface. "If you aren't lying, then you don't mind if I have a look around?" it was not a question and Lise knew it. _

"_Go ahead," her voice shook. _

_The boots clacked on the floor in a rhythmic pattern. Winry's breath caught in her throat. Then, as suddenly as it started the clacking stopped. _

"_Well, I guess you were telling the truth," Winry imagined Lise letting out a sigh of relief. "But that doesn't matter. You're coming with me anyway." He reached out over the table knocking over a glass in the process. The glass fell to the floor and shattered. Lise screamed. _

"_Shhhh…" The soldier scolded. "Don't scream. I'm going to take you away from here. If I don't you will die. This area is going to be bombed soon and the whole city turned to rubble." Lise gasped. _

_He grabbed her arm. _

_Lise screamed again. _

"_NO! I DON'T WANT TO! LET ME GO!" There was a loud bang and then a thud as Lise fell to the __floor. The German let out a deep laugh and left the house slamming the door behind him. Winry turned to her mother whose nod was nearly imperceptible in the darkness. _

"_We have to get out of here," her mother said. _

Something had gone wrong. There had been a mistake in the plans, and for some reason, a reason Winry would rather not know, she had been left behind.

And now she knew what she had to do. She had to get out of the country at any cost. Except her life. If it was going to cost her her life, she would rather die here at the same spot as Lise, instead of in a cowardly attempt to run away. But if the option was life, well she'd most definitely take it.

She took one more chance to survey her surroundings and check on her supplies. If she rationed, she would have about enough for another week. Maybe less. She couldn't leave and come back for fear of discovery. There was no other choice.

"I'll leave in the morning," she said softly to herself. She brushed her blond hair back from her face, cursing softly. She looked the part of the "perfect race" even if it was well known in the community that her parents were doctors helping the Jews. She headed for the small cubby to pack up her meager supplies. She had barely crossed halfway across the room before there was a knock at the door. Her stomach fell. She was going to die. There was no way around it. And now that it really came down to it she didn't want to.

The knock sounded again.

Winry shivered.

A male voice came through the door.

"Lise?"

Ok, so what of it? Repeat or delete?

Serenity0066


	2. The Capital of the Movement

Serenity here! Once again, I would like to thank GoddessoftheWaters for allowing me to adopt her wonderful story! This chapter is mine, however, as the rest will be! I'm super excited for it. I've tried to make it fairly historically accurate, but things are a little messy and I've taken some creative liberties. If you are interested, PM me and I will send you the websites I am using as a reference guide. You guys already know this, but I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. And now, onto it!

_**Zu den Sternen**_

_**(To Kiss the Stars)**_

_**Chapter 2: **_

_**Hauptstadt der Bewegung**_

_**(The Capital of the Movement)**_

Winry shivered. There was another knock.

"Lise?" a male voice sounded through the door.

_Munich, Germany _

_August 1930_

_Winry was 6 years old at the time. It was unbearably hot outside, but she was not allowed in the cool shade of the house. The adults were talking. She and a slightly older Lise were attempting to take shelter from the sweltering sun under the eaves of the house. They were silent in their attempt to stay cool, listening to the breeze and the voices that floated out of the open window of the house. The weight of the words didn't register to Winry, but from the slightly concerned look on Lise's face they meant something more to her. _

"_There was another brawl today," a male voice resonated in the breeze. Winry's mother Sara sighed. _

"_It was that Hitler again," she said, "I suppose my husband will be late then?" There was a gentle pause before the man spoke again. _

"_Yes. He is treating the injured. We are very lucky to have him. H__e is at the Prinzregentenplatz 16* treating the injured. What an honor for him to be invited into Hitler's private home!" _

"_An honor indeed," Sara sounded less in acquiescence than dissension, but she said nothing further. "We make it a point to treat everyone." _

_There was a gentle breeze that carried the next exchange out of hearing for the young girls. _

"_Thank you," Sara's voice was curt. "We will keep that in mind. Good day now." The door opened and a man walked out. The girls waved at him and gratefully headed into the cool shelter of the house. _

Calm.

Composure.

You have to open the door.

It will be worse if you don't.

Breathe.

In.

Out.

In...

The door swung open.

Winry's blue eyes showed obvious relief when the man at the entrance was not in military garb. He had golden hair that was braided down his back and golden eyes.

"Hello," he said, his German accented oddly. "Is Lise here?" Winry shook her head, her blond hair flying.

"T-th-they took her. A-and my mother. Already," she added hastily onto the end. The man sighed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. He looked angry. Winry took a small step back. The man looked up.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." Winry remained cautious. "Look," he ran his gloved hand through the unruly golden bangs that fell in front of his face, "I'm going to help you. You must be Winry Rockbell?" Winry nodded. "This is yours." He handed her an envelope, tucking three others back into the folds of his coat. "It contains a passport and, essentially, a new identity. You are no longer Winry Rockbell. You are now Emmaline Hohenzollern. She is a princess of Bavaria fleeing from an arranged marriage to Belgium. Are you aware of the political state of the world?"

Winry shook her head slightly.

"Oh, how rude of me. I'm Edward Elrich**," he stuck out his hand for her to shake. She took it.

"Win-" she paused at his glare, "Emmaline Hohenzollern." She wondered briefly if Edward was his real name.

"Belgium is... denying there is a war. They do not want to get involved. Leopold*** insists on throwing lavish parties and will not notice another pretty young girl in his court. We will leave immediately." Edward looked at her. "I will tell you more on the journey to the border. It is important we leave the city before dusk. We need to get to where you will not be associated with your parents, yes?" It was not a question. Winry turned quickly and headed to the cubby she and her mother and brother had hidden in two weeks prior and gathered her meager belongings. She wasn't sure if she could trust this Edward fellow, but he seemed to be offering her a way out, and staying at the house was no longer an option. She thought him slightly more trustworthy, and if she could even get out of the city and away from her parents sphere of influence she would (hopefully) be able to escape.

Edward was waiting for her to finish gathering her stuff and he quickly ushered her out the door. She was on her way to... freedom?

_Munich, Germany_

_April 1933_

_And one day, Daddy didn't come home. Mom, Sara, came home sobbing. Neighbors rushed over. Winry, now 9 years old understood moderately what was happening. Something similar had happened when the Glass Palace collapsed, but Daddy and Mommy had just come home really late and Winry had to stay with Oma**** Pinako. This time was different. She sat on the edge of the room, on the threshold between the kitchen and the living room and listened to the adults, and Lise, talk. _

_Oma Pinako tried to calm Sara down. She rubbed her back and whispered things unintelligible to Winry, who was too far away. Cousin Rita sat watching until Sara had calmed down enough to speak. _

"_What happened?" She asked. Sara looked at her, her face stained with tears. Oma Pinako rubbed her back, quietly whispering what Winry could only assume equated to "We would all like to know the answer to that question." _

_Winry wondered where Daddy was, but she knew better than to ask that question at the current moment. Sara looked up and over to where she was sitting. Winry blinked at her. Maybe this was the time to ask, "Where's Daddy?" _

_Sara swallowed hard and motioned to Winry who ran over and clambered into her mother's lap, her throat choking up. Something was not right here. Daddy was hurt, something was wrong... _

"_We were working as usual, the Rabbi had recently had a heart attack, you see," Sara paused for a second, "And several Nazi soldiers came in. Apparently they had been at a Beer Garden last night and one of them had gotten very sick and needed care. We set him up on a bed in another ward of the hospitable. A few of his companions apparently decided exploration was necessary and they stumbled upon the rabbi's room. Urey was working there," Sara wiped her face and Winry wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulders. "He told them to go back to their companion. They did, and a few hours later the general came by. He said he was sorry he had to do this, but it was not prudent to be treating the rabbi. The rabbi, apparently had committed some sort of thievery. As if this should exclude him from treatment!" Sara's eyes gleamed for a moment before she went back to her story. "They informed us that Urey was going to be taken to the new 'Work Camp' up in Dachau*****. Its slightly northwest of here. He has been sentenced to two years labor." Sara began to cry again. "They said, they said... he would be... exemplifying... their new motto... 'Arbeit Macht Frei'..."_

The car sped over a bump with a clatter. Winry awoke with a start.

...Work makes you free...

* Prinzregentenplatz 16- the luxury apartment Hitler lived in.

** I used Elrich with an 'h' on the end because that makes it a German name. Similarly, Emmaline is a Belgian name.

*** King Leopold is indeed the real King of Belgium. And they were not directly involved in World War II until France and Germany needed to fight on their soil. But I have taken a creative liberty as to why...

**** Oma means "Granny" in German

*****Dachau was a work camp northwest of Munich. It was NOT a concentration camp. The occupants worked and were generally prisoners of war or political figures. It was established in March 1933, and the motto was 'Arbeit Macht Frei' although I am unclear of whether that was there at opening or came about later.

So tell me what you think, please!

Serenity066 3


End file.
